House defeats equal pay for women bill

BATON ROUGE -- The House defeated the proposed Equal Pay for Women Act with a 33-59 vote today that would have prohibited employers from paying compensation that discriminates against employees on the basis of gender.

House Bill 705 by Rep. Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport, was backed by a variety of women's equal-rights organizations but strongly opposed by business lobbyists.

The bill says that an employee who believes that an employer is in violation should give written notice to the employer, who would have 90 days to remedy the alleged problem. If the employee is not satisfied after that time, the worker could file suit in a district court.
The legislation spells out various damages that a court could award an employee.

Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, amended the bill so that it would apply only to companies with 20 or more employees. Norton's version would have applied to businesses with four or more workers. The amendment also would require that claims be brought in parishes where the violations occur. That amendment passed, 55-37.

Supporters said women's average pay is about two-thirds to three-fourths the level of men's and a law is needed to help level the playing field.

"If you're doing the right thing, this should not hurt you or bother you," said Rep. Karen St. Germain, D-Plaquemine.

Rep. Jon Bel Edwards, D-Amite, said the current system is not working and a change is needed to give women an equal chance.

"Every now and then you've got to change a flat tire, and I'm telling you the tire is flat," Edwards said.

Critics said state law already makes it unlawful to discriminate on compensation based on race, sex, religion and national origin. Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act and the Federal Equal Employment Act also cover pay discrimination.

"It seems to me we may be reinventing the wheel." Rep. Gregory Ernst, R-New Orleans, said.

The bill was opposed by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and the state chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, among other business groups.

Renee Baker, the state director of the federation, called the legislation "outrageous."

"Louisiana's small, family owned businesses are under attack," Baker said. "HB 705 is about making it easier to sue small businesses."

Baker said the bill might work for a large corporation with many people doing basically the same work, but small businesses do not always have well-defined job descriptions.

Rep. Karen Carter Peterson, D-New Orleans, said the white men in the Legislature may have trouble understanding the reality of discrimination in the workplace, but that she and other African-American women in particular are often treated in a "submissive, subservient way."

"If people just did the right thing, we wouldn't be standing here," Peterson said.